One Last Weekend
by Concerto in E
Summary: They had known they'd be split up one day, so they made a promise at the first crossroads: to meet once more before giving in to the chains of adulthood. For one last weekend, they would be together again.  Written for the anniversary of "The Weekenders".
1. Regrets

**Summary:** They had known they'd be split up one day, so they made a promise at the first crossroads: to meet once more before giving in to the chains of adulthood. For one last weekend, they would be together again. (Written for the anniversary of "The Weekenders")

**Disclaimer: Fun fact- These disclaimer thingys don't actually do anything for you legally. That being said, I do not own, and have never owned **_**The Weekenders.**_** Why would I be writing this if I did? ****Any and all claims made by the characters, narrator, or formatting conventions of this fic are non-canonical unless verified in an official **_**The Weekenders**_** episode.**

**A/N: **I recently re-discovered this series, having loved it when I was a kid. Going through all the episodes obsessively has been a huge journey of nostalgia, and I was quite sad when it was over. As stated in the summary, this is written for the 11th anniversary of _The Weekenders_' airing.

* * *

**The Weekenders, Episode 78+x : One Last Weekend Part 1, "Regrets"**

"_We all walk different paths in life, all paved by the metronomic tick of the clock. Lead by time, our paths wind and twist in a constant motion towards a single, final destination. Lead by time, we move quickly, reaching a crossroads where we must diverge from our roots and friends. For the four of us, the first crossroads was college. We knew that even after a decade as best friends, time wouldn't let us last forever, yet we refused to resign our relationship to erosion. This is why we promised to meet again today as we always had back then. One weekend, frozen in time."_

**Friday, November 11****th****, 2011 | 7:00 am | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)**

People have all sorts of reasons to take a plane trip, but it was quite clear to the passing traveler that not many had reason to fly from Los Angeles to Hawaii on this particular Friday morning. Of course, this would probably be an unfair assessment—the plane had just landed and there was still quite a bit of time before it was to depart again. Still, it _was _fair to note that the gate was practically deserted as the boarding doors opened and a stream of people hobbled out.

Among the weary travelers was the recent college graduate, Tino Tonitini. The young man was clearly having trouble carrying both his backpack and rolling suitcase, each one over-packed and ready to burst at the seams. This could have easily been avoided, but Tino had decided that over-packing was preferable to forgetting to bring something home with him. Therefore, it must be hoped that no one was to remind him of the potential for back injuries later in life.

Of course, even if someone _did_ remind him, it was doubtful that he'd worry too much on this particular morning. After all, he was about to be reunited with his old best friends, and no one meant more to Tino than the three friends he had spent his childhood with…well, except for his parents. True, his college friends were fun—he had spent the months since graduation hanging out with them in Hawaii, where he had attended the university—but none of them could compare to Lor, Carver, and Tish.

As he walked through the airport, stopping only to retrieve his two even-more fully stuffed suitcases from the baggage claim, Tino couldn't help but let his mind drift into the past, to the memories of hundreds of weekends spent with his friends in Bahia Bay. It was then that he remembered a certain activity from his childhood, something he used to do quite often back when he was twelve, even letting his friends join in at times.

"Well, why not…" Tino said to himself, smiling as he began:

"_Hey, Tino here! I know it's been a while, but I haven't forgotten about you! Ok…so I did, but I'm here now right? A lot has happened since last time, but I'll fill you in later. Point is, I've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time!'_

"_In case you haven't caught on, this will be the first time that Carver, Lor, Tish, and I will be together since we left Bahia Bay for college! Sure, I've seen each of them individually during the summers and stuff…like I saw Tish and Carver a couple years ago, and Lor was here for winter break that one time…but it's never been all of us at once. You know, I have a feeling that that's how we'll be from now on, what with jobs, Tish going to grad school, stuff like that…so that's why this'll have to be a weekend to cherish! Ouch, that definitely sounded dorky; I seem to have lost my touch over the years."_

"Tino, over here!" a tall man, whom Tino recognized immediately, was waving at him. Tino lumbered over with his bags to meet him.

"Hey, let me give you a hand with that. You might break your back!"

"Thanks Dixon. And, oh my gosh, you're right! I can feel my vertebral column cracking under the strain!"

Dixon chuckled to himself. The stepson he had grown to know and love was back, the same as ever. Tino got into the car, but paused for just a moment.

"_Alright, we're Bahia Bay bound. I gotta go for now, but I guess I'll see you all in a few hours!"_

OOOOOOOOOOO

**Friday, November 11****th****, 2011 | 9:00 am | Tino's House, Bahia Bay, California**

Tino's hometown had changed very little over the years. Among other things, the snack shack still sold all its classic items, and Funville was still "frightfully" popular (what with the clown head over the door and all). Of course, that one pizza place was always changing, and Tino could only guess at the themes its manager had come up with (some better than others) during his time out of town. He hadn't been back home nearly as much as he would've liked. That was the one problem with going to college in Hawaii; your parents always wanted to visit _you_ during the breaks, not the other way around.

Even Tino's room remained (mostly) as he had left it; his mom hadn't gotten rid of his old things, nor let anyone move into his room…or if she did, she wasn't about to let _him_ know about it! In either case, it looked like hardly a second had passed since he had left for college, though this may have been because the analog clock by his computer had stopped working during his first year away and now permanently read 4:33. Tino had never bothered to change the batteries when he was home for vacation as he had taken to wearing a watch, a quick glance at which told him that he would meet his friends again in a little over an hour.

Tino quickly got out of his travel clothes and took a short shower. He was rummaging through his closet (which, much to his annoyance, _had_ been re-organized) when there was a knock at his door.

"Tino?" came the voice of his mom, opening the door just a crack.

"Wait, don't come in here yet!"

"Oh, sorry. Just wanted to see if you were hungry. I made those squid pancakes that you love."

Tino cringed, "Erk- right, 'love'…what dictionary are you using, exactly?"

"Just the thesaurus, I looked under 'antonyms'. Anyway, just come down when you're ready." His mom replied as she started back down the stairs.

"Hey wait!" Tino yelled. The footsteps stopped.

"Mom? Have you seen my blue shirt?"

There was a long pause.

"Uh, Tino, _which_ blue shirt?" His mom asked.

At this point, Tino realized that most of his shirts were, in fact, blue. "Um…you know…the one with that was…uh…it had that- that…bluish color? Oh wait, the one with the stripes! That's it! Wait, never mind; here it is! Thanks mom!"

But his mom had already gone downstairs to set the table. She knew him too well. As Tino finished buttoning his shirt, he reached over to his desk calendar. Ripping out the old months, he finally came to the current day—which he had circled four years ago when his friends made a promise to see each other again. The time and place were clearly spelled out in red letters. Grinning excitedly, he left the calendar on the floor and ran downstairs.

OOOOO

"All right, what have you done with the real Tino?" Tino's mom asked jokingly, "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd think you actually liked my cooking."

"Mmmnrrrrngg, Mmnn Mnnnhh Mhhh!" Tino 'said' as he wolfed down the squid pancakes. No matter what color the pancakes were, he couldn't dawdle this morning if he wanted to make it to the big tree in time to meet his friends. Although strangely, the more he ate, the more he realized the squid pancakes were really not _that_ bad…and then he came to his senses and perished the thought.

"You know, just because you're a legal adult now doesn't mean that you can talk with your mouth full like that."

"Mnnnhh Nmggnh," Tino responded, waving a hand in front of his face as he swallowed the last of his pancakes, "Sorry. I was saying that I was eating quickly because I was in a rush."

"You were eating _quickly_, because you were in a _rush_? Well that's just crazy talk. What for?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm seeing my friends today!"

"Right now? But you just got back; don't you want to take a nap first?" said Tino's mom.

"Sorry, no can do. I have to be there on time, or else!"

"Because of a promise you made with them four years ago to meet up after graduation."

"Wow, you caught on quick."

"I'm your mom, it's what we do, but I had thought you were here for a job interview."

"Mom, that's next week."

"Oh, ok, well I suppose it sounds like fun. How are the three of them doing, anyway?"

"Well, I know that Tish is going to graduate school for English literature or something—she sent us all copies of her acceptance letter, that's how I know. Carver and Lor, though, I'm not really sure, but you know Carver, he's probably doing something shoe-related. And Lor, well-"

"You haven't spoken to them about today, have you?" Tino's mom interrupted, saying it more as a statement than a question.

"Well…no, not since we made the promise." admitted Tino. His mom looked like she was about to slap herself in the face, so Tino added "But don't worry about it mom, I trust them; they won't let me down."

"This is like looking in a mirror…" muttered Tino's mom to herself, "But you haven't even checked up with them at all? What about that social networking site?"

"What, that? Oh nonononononono, what with all the stalkers on there, I'd never join one of those things!"

"Uh huh. And that's precisely why I haven't been able to find your dad on it either...his wife tells me he's doing all right though. Anyway, I think it's great that the four of you are trying to meet up again after spending the past four years apart. I just hope that the others remember their promises as well."

"Thanks for the support, mom…" said Tino, "Wait, dad got re-married too?"

"Wow, you really have been living in a cave these past few years…" joked his mom, "I hope you don't mind me unpacking your suitcases while you're gone."

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Said Tino, getting up and heading towards the door, "But you might want to make a list of where you put everything."

OOOOO

A little while later, Tino's mom went into her son's room to help him keep his stuff. As she moved the suitcases to the center of the room from over by the door, where Tino had left them, she spotted the calendar that her son had left on the floor. Seeing Tino's "promised reunion", November 11, 2011, circled and detailed in red, Tino's mom stopped and headed back downstairs, checking the time as she got into her car and drove away with a knowing look on her face.

OOOOOOOOOOO

**Friday, November 11****th****, 2011 | 9:50 am | The Big Tree, Bahia Bay, California**

_"Hey, it's me again! I'm here, just sitting on the Big Tree. Are you excited? Because I sure am! I hope everyone remembered…but they have to have remembered…right? Well, since you're probably still wondering how this all came about, let's take a look at what happened back then…through the magic of the flashback."_

* * *

The scene blurred in front of Tino, and he saw his friends, Tish, Lor, and Carver, as they were four years ago, all sitting together on a nearby branch. While they couldn't see him (as flashbacks don't work that way), they were waving towards his 18-year-old self, who was just approaching the tree.

Tino turned away from the scene for a moment:

_"Hey, could we get the info ticker in here for a second, so everyone knows when this is?"_

**Friday, April 7****th****, 2007 | 4:30 pm | The Big Tree, Bahia Bay, California**

_"Thanks."_

"Hey, Tino! Up here!" Carver called, obviously speaking to the 18-year-old Tino.

"Yeah I see ya, I'll be right up." He replied, quickly joining his friends on the branch, "So guys? What's the news? Good? Bad?" Asked Tino.

"Well…" Began Lor, "There's both."

They were referring to their college acceptance letters, which had just came in the mail that day.

"The good news is I got that basketball scholarship that I was going for!" Lor said, happily.

"Really! _That_ scholarship? As in, _the big one_?" Tino asked, getting very excited for his friend's success.

"Yup, that's the one."

"Congratulations! I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Tino! Yeah, I was worried I'd have been stuck here instead of getting to go anywhere cool. What with eighteen, no, sixteen brothers? My parents needed all that money to have afforded any of the places I applied to." Lor wiped the sweat off her brow in relief, "Now I really will be able to see the whole world!"

"Lor, you're going to college in _Nebraska_." Carver pointed out, "That's not exactly 'the whole world'. Me? I got into all of my top picks! Not sure which one I'll go to though."

"That's great Carve! And, you Tish?"

"Um…well…" Tish hesitated.

"Oh come on, girl! All of us know that you were a shoe-in for Stanford; no need to be so disgustingly modest about it!" Lor interjected, to which Tish laughed.

"I? Disgustingly modest? I believe you're looking for a different Tish! But yes Tino, now you know."

"Wow…that's amazing! Not that I expected anything less from The Tish Katsufrakis. I mean, you've been preparing that resume of yours for years!" said Tino, "As for me, well, it looks like I'll be studying marine biology at the University of Hawaii."

"Really? That's great! Way to follow your dreams, dude!"

The older Tino chuckled to himself; he could tell his younger self was thinking of some sarcastic remark. That particular "dream" came about at some point during his junior year, though Tino couldn't remember how; he eventually figured the years of presentations at the aquatic life section at the zoo had finally caught up to him (and he wasn't about to give any credit to his mom's squid-based fudge). On the other hand, while he now was interviewing to teach biology at Bahia Bay High, Tino was now strongly considering a part-time job in counseling. After all, it sounded like something he'd be pretty good at, what with all the advice his mom had bestowed on him over the years. He even had begun to notice his own mind-reading abilities beginning to develop!

After group congratulations had been exchanged, Tino found the courage to ask about the bad news that Lor had mentioned. His friends' faces suddenly fell. Carver was the one who spoke, "Dude…think about it for a second."

Tino shrugged, "What's so bad about it? I mean, we each got what we wanted out of this…individually…"

The 18-year-old's eyes widened as the inherent meaning of "individually"dawned on him, "Oh my…what have we done!"

Lor sighed, "Told you he'd take it like this…"

"No, no, it's fine, I'm alright." Tino managed to say. He had actually been anticipating something like this happening ever since the group began looking outside Bahia Bay for colleges. He knew that none of them wanted to end up stuck at Bahia Bay Community College (especially not Tish, whose intellect would have been better served at a much more prestigious institution), but outside of their common location, their interests were completely different from each other. Tino eventually was forced to concede that separation had to happen someday.

The 18-year-old Tino cleared his throat, hesitating before speaking. As he had always been the most vehemently supportive of the group's unity, accepting this turn of events was much harder for him than for the others.

"Guys, I know it's sad to think about…" he paused, "…about this marking the beginning of the end for our group, especially for me. But…I know I wouldn't have it any other way…I'm happy for all of us in our individual accomplishments, and I know that we'll make the best of them. Even I knew that we would have to split up one day.'

"That's just how life works I guess. It's just that...just that…" he stammered, no longer able to pretend that he wasn't on the verge of tears.

"We understand, Tino…" Carver said, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder, "We've been through so much together over the years, and that makes separation even more painful."

"'This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong; to love that well which thou must leave ere long…'" Tish quoted solemnly.

"But it's not like we're not gonna see each other again right?" Lor offered, "We're not gonna stop being best friends or anything."

"Are you kidding?" Asked Tino, "Sure we'll still be friends…but adulthood divides people, Lor. I mean, my mom has pictures of her and her friends on her dresser. I had never realized it before, but she doesn't seem close to _any_ of them now. Albeit her and dad did get divorced and Mrs. Phipps lives in Ohio, but Mrs. Duong and Coach Colson? They don't seem like much more than acquaintances to her now…"

"Really? Wait, she hung out with _those_ people in school?" Asked Tish.

"Yeah, I know, pretty surprising, huh? They're all totally different from each other…just like us, and that's exactly my point!"

"Tino, didn't we go through this at some point before? Just because we're different from each other, doesn't mean we _have_ to split up." Said Lor, unconvinced with Tino's case.

"Lor, sure, that's what we said when we were _twelve_. Look, I want to stay together as much as anyone here, possibly more, but it's clear that having differing interests as adults is what _divides _people. We'll still be friends, sure, probably even best friends, but we can't control the logistics."

"I think you've got a point there, Tino…" Carver said, "Eventually our lives will bring us to different places…we could be split by distance, or just have too much on our hands to see each other. We may be able to get together once in a while, but we won't be able to count on something as standard as a weekend to make it happen."

"But," Lor stated, "that doesn't mean we shouldn't still try."

"I agree with Lor," said Tish, "We can't just give up outright. I don't know how well we'll be able to keep in touch these next four years—I, for one, already have prospective summer internships lined up—but we might be able to get together after that."

"The word 'might' makes me uneasy…we should make it a promise." Said Lor.

"Ok, I agree," Tino replied, "It should be specific. Let's promise that, no matter what happens to us these next four years, that we'll meet at a specific time and place when it's all over and spend a weekend together, just like the old times."

"I see," said Tish, "This way, even if the chains of adulthood fully bind us and we never hang out together again, at least we'll be able to have one last weekend together."

"Ok, fine…" said Lor, "I'm still not convinced, but at least it's a start."

"Could we make the date easy to remember, for my sake?" Asked Carver.

Tish thought about it for a moment, drawing a mental calendar for herself, "All right, well we're all going to graduate in the class of 2011 so…how about this: let's promise, on our unbreakable word as friends, that we'll meet each other right here on Friday, November 11, 2011, at 11:11 am. Is that memorable enough?"

"Sure," said Carver, "I'll write it in my calendar just in case."

"We all should." Tino agreed, "So it's settled then. Anyway, we still have several months before we'll all be leaving, so let's make the best of our last continuous time together…starting tomorrow. Right now, I have to get home for dinner."

Holding their promise close at heart, the four friends began to climb down from the tree, each taking a different route on their way home. Only the older Tino remained sitting on the branch watching them leave.

_"Ok, we can end the flashback now."_

The scene blurred once again, though the only noticeable change aside from the lighting was the types of cars driving by on the streets, as past moved into present.

* * *

"_Well, there you have it! Four years ago, we made the promise to meet each other again. And now it's finally that day. According to my watch…oh…no…it can't be…"_

Tino's worst nightmare had become a reality: his watch now read 11:30, and his friends were nowhere to be seen! Frantically, he ran through all the possibilities in his head.

"_M- maybe they're just late…but could they have really forgotten? No, that can't be possible! They have to just be late, they just have to be!" _

Tino looked around frantically, but even with the great view the tree had always provided, he couldn't see his friends anywhere. He thought to check elsewhere, at his friends' houses or their other hangouts, but some smidgen of hope made him unwilling to leave the Big Tree.

Then, he spotted a payphone. Leaping down, he ran towards it and began dialing all his friends' numbers…at least, until he realized that he had never memorized them anyway due to the convenience of speed-dial.

"Curse you, modern technology!" Tino cried, slamming the phone back on the hook.

Finally, Tino found himself back at the Big Tree, this time seated on the nearby bench and almost in tears.

"_P- perhaps I should've reminded them or something. Or maybe they just don't care about our friendship anymore…"_

It was then, that he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw his mom sitting next to him.

"Wh- What! Mom? What are you doing here?" asked Tino in confusion.

"Oh, I just saw the little note you made on your calendar, and figured I'd come here in case you needed some advice."

"…Wow, mom." Said Tino, sighing, "Usually I'd complain about your mind-reading thing, but for once you have perfect timing…though I don't know what you'd say if I told you what happened."

His mom sighed in the same way as her son, "Tino…I do have some advice, _and_ I know exactly what just happened. But…it has nothing to do with mind reading…"

Tino was in no spirit to say anything, even a sarcastic remark, and simply stared at the ground, though listening intently.

"I'm far from perfect, Tino, I just wanted you to know that. I know what happened to you today because it's almost exactly what happened between me and my friends many years ago."

This time, Tino's ears perked up. This was the first time his mom was talking about her old friends, and what happened between them. His mom caught on to his reaction easily, and explained:

"I didn't want to tell you this until you were ready. But now, looking at you and seeing my younger self staring right back, I know I have to tell you before you do anything foolish."

"What? What do you mean?"

"You've seen the pictures on my dresser, like the one with me and my old 'group': your dad, Adele Phipps, and Ned Colson? Well, we were all best friends through grade school—we later became friends with Gloria Duong after Adele left for Ohio—just like you, Lor, Carver, and Tish, but now…"

"I know, you guys barely even talk with each other anymore." Said Tino.

"I know you know," replied his mom, "and I have to blame myself for that."

Out of all the strange things that his mom had told him in the past, this shocked Tino like nothing else. He sat there with his jaw frozen open and his mind feeling like it had been put under a roller coaster car…yes, _under_ a roller coaster car.

_"D- did I hear that right just n-"_

"Tino, don't do that right now, I'm explaining myself here." His mom interrupted sternly.

"Sorry…"

"We made a promise at the end of our high school senior year to meet right here, right under this tree, once college was over, just like you and your friends did. I know that sounds contrived, but it really is true! Anyway, I admit that at the time we weren't as close with each other as you were with your friends: Adele's departure shook our group up a ton, but I thought we recovered from it well…still, though, as the new girl, Gloria was still slightly…how should I put it…out-of-synch with the rest of us, and Ned started to devote more and more time to his sports. Yes, I know, but he was like Lor times a factor of ten!'

"I'm listening,..." said Tino, his statement regarding Lor and basketball having been cut off before he even said it.

"Even so, the four of us knew that we wanted to stay best friends, so we made the promise to meet again but…perhaps I should have expected something to go wrong, and reminded them, but it's all old regret. Anyway, only your dad showed up that day at the tree."

"Ah…so that was the beginning of you two-"

"Perhaps, but I'm not really sure when we stopped being 'just friends' and started dating. In any event, while I was still close to your dad after the 'reunion', I had lost most of my desire to remain friends with the others, which was to become my biggest regret…"

Tino said nothing, now listened intently. This was a side of his mom's personality that she hardly ever let show. It was now _his_ turn to be the mind reader, as he saw exactly where his mom was going with her story, and why she had waited to tell him until he was ready. Politely, though, he let his mom continue.

"Tino, my biggest regret is that, after that incident, I started to push my old friends away, sometimes even without knowing it. When I look back on it now, I realize that Ned and Gloria really did want to remain friends. I realize how much I had hurt them with my selfish actions.'

"Your dad, though, I think he realized what I was doing soon after we got married, or maybe he saw it all along. But…he was just like how you are, in a sense: he was unwilling to talk to me directly about it, fearing conflict. Maybe we wouldn't be where we are now had he done so…but who knows?'

"Instead, I think he took it upon himself to bring the group back together. He started spending more time with Ned and Gloria, inviting them to things, and so on…but I didn't perceive it as him trying to preserve our friendship. No, I thought that he was trying to push me away, just like they had. So one day, when you were little-"

"Oh no…" Tino whispered; he was hoping it had not come to this.

"It's true, Tino, I'm sorry…I confronted him about it. We had a huge fight and…well, we forgave each other, but our relationship was never the same."

Now it was his mom's turn to be sadly silent, staring at the ground. Tino put an arm around her shoulders and spoke up.

"Mom…please, you don't need to worry about it anymore. What's done is done right? Anyway, it was dad's fault too for not going to you sooner…now I see why you're always getting on my case about talking to people immediately when I'm having problems with them."

"Ah, _now_ you are learning." Replied his mom wryly.

"What? Oh, I see, so that was a trap!" Tino exclaimed.

"Of course. Do you think I'd be telling you my deepest, darkest secret without some sort of educational value?"

Tino rolled his eyes, changing the subject, "Ok, ok, but this is why I really think I should go into counseling; the whole teaching thing seems to run in the family!"

"I didn't say I was against it, did I?"

"I didn't say you did, but...Uh, yeah you did."

"No, I just told you not to let all that weirdo science stuff you learned in college go to waste. I know counseling would be a part-time job."

"Oh, uh, ok. Thanks mom. So…what do I do now?" Tino asked, suddenly remembering that he was in the same situation that his mom had been in years ago.

"Well, I think you're smart enough now to figure that out by yourself. Think of this as practice for your counseling job."

"Oh alright…" said Tino, thinking for a moment, "Well, you were saying that your biggest regret is letting your friendships slip away after the incident, so…the moral of the story is for me to…not do that?"

Tino's mom nodded, "Right. Your friends may have forgotten this one meeting, but that doesn't mean that they've de-valued their friendship with you. You've all known each other for most of your lives, and what are a few years between friends? If there's any group of friends that would be unaffected by four years apart, it would be you guys. So the moral of the story is for you to not make the same mistake that I did."

Tino was satisfied with this, realizing that his mom was absolutely right, as usual. He couldn't stay mad at his friends; that would just be stupid. Of _course_ his friends still wanted to see him!

"Thanks mom." He said, happily, as his thoughts turned to re-scheduling the group's long-awaited reunion.

* * *

_"Well, I didn't get to see my friends, but at least I still trust them. And what's more, I now have a great story to tell them once we-"_

"Tino?" His mom poked him to restore his focus, "Don't run off with that thought just yet, young one. I agree that it might be a good idea to tell your friends about our little chat, but remember when I said I had advice for you when we first started talking? Well, that story wasn't it."

"Huh?" was all Tino could say. What _more_ advice could his mom have to give to him?

Tino's mom smiled, extreme amusement and elation for her son clear in her expression. "You probably didn't remember since they don't do it in Hawaii, but daylight savings time ended for us last week. So…you were supposed to move your watch three hours forward, not four. See, look over there!"

Tino wasn't sure what color his face turned as he gazed in the direction his mom was pointing. Crossing over the hill towards him were Carver, Lor, and Tish! In a mixture of hyper-enthusiasm and the equivalent amount of embarrassment, Tino checked his incorrectly-set watch. It read 12:05. They were early.

Leaving his mom watching fondly from the bench, Tino let out a yell of joy and sprinted to meet his friends.

"Guys! You wouldn't believe what just happen-ooooff!" He started to say before being tackled in a group hug.

* * *

_"Well, um…heheh…I don't know what I have to say to that. Ah well, I'll have lots of time later to crawl in a hole and cry about embarrassing myself in front of all of you. But for now, it's time for the best last weekend ever! Later Days!"_

* * *

**INTERMISSION | INTERMISSION | INTERMISSION**

**A/N:** Just a few things that I think I should mention: As I wanted this to play out like an actual episode, I chose not to break it into shorter chapters. The reason for choosing the characters' college graduation year as 2011 stems from one scene at the beginning of the holiday episode involving Tino and a calendar, where the days that Tino points at only work if the episode took place in December of 2001, centering their 7th grade year around that particular date (ignoring the fact that the number of weekends shown and implied on the show add up to more than 2 school years worth anyway). The ages are arbitrary. Lastly, yes, Ned is Coach Colson's canonical first name.

For anyone willing to review: I'd appreciate help with characterization, as it's always been a problem of mine that my characters end up sounding the same as each other and not much like how they should be sounding. In the case that I later write more fics for it, this is something that I should really try to fix.

I would also like to add a random observation from a hopeless nostalgic: today is a Saturday, just like that day 11 years ago when the show first aired (Saturday, February 26, 2000. Just ignore the leap-year thing and you're all set).

Anyway, see you all after the break!


	2. Synchronized

**Disclaimer: I do not own, and have never owned _The Weekenders_, nor do I own any characters in said show. Any and all claims made by the characters, narrator, or formatting conventions of this fic are non-canonical unless verified in an official _The Weekenders_ episode.**

**A/N:** Well, like with many of the actual _Weekenders_ episodes, this one is a two part-er, though this second part is a bit shorter than the first, and is paced more like an extended epilogue. It deals with the end of this "Last Weekend".

**END INTERMISSION | END INTERMISSION | END INTERMISSION**

* * *

**The Weekenders, Episode 78+(x+1) : One Last Weekend Part 2, "Synchronized**_"_

**Sunday, November 13****th****, 2011 | 4:00 pm | Snack Shack, Bahia Bay, California**

_"Hey again, Tino here. So Lor, Carver, Tish and I have been spending one of the best weekends we've ever had together here in Bahia Bay, just like old times. We went to all our old hangout spots! Let's see...there was that pizza restaurant, Funville, the museum, the mall, the zoo, the movies, and Tesla Park. We even went back to our old middle school to do the unthinkable: visit old teachers! Oh, and to play a few games of 2 vs. 2 basketball at the gym, of course. We also added a new place: you know that door at the back of Funville labeled 'No entry under 21'? Well, that leads to a bar. It's pretty smart of them eh? Funville really does cater to all ages! The only place we haven't seen that much of yet is the beach, which is where I am now.'_

"_Anyway, I also told them all about my little daylight savings mishap, including my mom's story. They just laughed it off, so maybe me freaking out over them isn't so embarrassing after all!'_

_ "Yeah, I noticed the ticker above too. It looks like our weekend is almost over! Just a heads up: The mood might get pretty sad soon...Tish has to fly back to school in a couple hours—she says she had a ton of work to catch up on—so right now Carver and Lor are over at her place helping her pack so that we can all crush one more snack at the beach before it's time to say goodbye. I was there too, but I'd thought I'd surprise them by buying the food—it's the least I could do after they put up with me all weekend, haha. Just don't tell them what I'm doing, ok? I told them I was doing the laundry at home."_

* * *

Tino stood in front of the Snack Shack, looking out over the beach. Playing and sitting (sometimes painfully) amongst the sand crabs were people of all ages and body types. Nearby, he spotted a muscularly built man lifting weights on a bench. Tino recognized the guy from before and was glad to see that he was still keeping in shape. Briefly, he considered pranking the muscleman with an old plastic bottle he saw sticking out of a trashcan, but decided against it. Trashcans, after all, were a breeding ground for bacteria!

He turned away from the beach and walked up to the familiar window of the Snack Shack. While Tino hadn't told his friends that he'd be buying the food, it didn't matter. He knew _exactly_ what they wanted.

"Yo Tino, long time no see!" Said the Snack Shack guy. They had gotten to know each other over the many years of Tino being a regular customer.

"Hey Vinnie, yeah, we've all been back for the weekend and decided to come here for one more snack before saying goodbye."

"Oh, that's great! So what can I get for ya?"

Tino gave him his order, adding "Oh, and have it at the ready but could you not give it to me until my friends get here? I want to surprise them."

"Sure thing, sir!"

OOOOO

Soon enough, he saw Tish, Carver, and Lor walking towards him casually. Tino leaned back against the counter, acting like everything was normal.

"Hey guys, how was the rest of the packing?"

"Do you mean _before_ or _after_ Carver broke that dulcimer string?" Asked Tish crossly.

"Hey, hey, I told you I'd pay for it!"

"I know, I'm just teasing."

Meanwhile, Lor was squinting at the menu, "Wow, is it just me, or have the prices gone up here a lot since last time?"

That was the cue Tino was waiting for.

"Aha! _That_ is where I come in: check it out!" Tino waited for the Snack Shack guy to be ready before passing everything out, "I got chuggafreezes all around, corndog for Carver, nachos for Lor, a rolled taco for me, and a…pressed asparagus patty burger for Tish."

Tish, Lor, and Carver couldn't decide what was more fascinating: that Tino had gotten there early and ordered exactly what they wanted, or that he had handed it out with one hand, not even turning around.

"Wow, Tino, thanks for paying for it all but…how did you even do that?" Lor was the first to ask.

"What, the knowing-what-you-wanted thing, or the food-handout thing?"

"Both."

"Well, for passing out the food with one hand without looking, that took hours of practice."

"Ah…"

Tino smiled, a bit sadly, "As for the rest, well, how could I _not_ know what you guys wanted? We spent nearly every weekend together since first grade. Even after all this time apart, we are _still_ synchronized."

Lor scratched her head, "Whoa, why am I getting déjà vu all of a sudden?"

"You're not, he's definitely said that once before." Said Carver.

"More than once," Tish corrected, "Try 'every time we used to eat here!'"

"Heh…well, it amazed me every time back then too, s'probably why I always asked him how he did it." Said Lor.

"Anyway," continued Tish, "As it seems our time together is coming to a close, I just have something to say to the group…can we move over to the wall?"

The group, having been reminded that the weekend was almost over, moved to their old favorite spot, overlooking the beach, and focused their attention on their friend.

Tish sighed, "I was thinking a lot last night about Tino's mom's story, comparing it to our situation, and…well…do you really want us to end up like that? Because that's what we're doing, isn't it? Pushing each other away…"

"More like, 'Do we really _have_ to end up like that?'" Carver offered, "I guess I was thinking the same thing as Tish…I mean, Tino, your mom admitted that one of her biggest regrets was letting her old friendships slip away."

"That's right," said Tino, "I've been thinking about it too. What with my mom's group promising each other they'd have a reunion just like ours after she got out of college, and only she and my dad remembering? It's actually pretty depressing."

"But she said there might have been a reason for that." Said Tish.

"Right, I was just about to say, at the time they planned their 'last weekend', Mrs. Phipps was gone, the coach was already falling into stride with the other jocks, and Mrs. Duong was so new, she might as well have been an outsider. And then after my parents' divorce…well...Hey, you know, the more I think about it, the more I realize that-"

"I really don't think we're like them at all." said Lor, finally joining in, "This is exactly what I was saying back then! I mean, look at us! It always _has_ been the four of us. We've never split up, or separated. I think the very fact that we are together now, all because of a promise we made four years ago, is a sign that…well, you get my point right?"

Tish picked up the thought were Lor's momentum ended, "The point is, the very fact that we are here now—still synchronized, to use Tino's words—shows that the force driving us apart is completely imaginary."

"And it shows that the strength of friendships are entirely what we make of them." Added Carver.

"And to use _my _words," Tino concluded, "We don't have to be like my mom and her friends…all it will take is a little effort and trust on our part."

"Well, you all said it better than I ever could," said Lor, "Guys, this might be another stupid idea of mine, but this actually is how I've been feeling about the issue for a long time…"

"Lor, don't worry, if you're thinking what I'm thinking, then I think we've all been feeling the same way, deep down." Assured Tino.

"Really? Ok, well…I think that we can't possibly let this be our last time together, and-"

"That we should meet again next year, and so on?" Asked Carver.

"Annually, or more frequently than that if possible, at the same place?" Tish continued the thought.

"Right here in Bahia Bay, on a Friday, possibly on a more convenient week?" Tino added.

"I'd…also like to mention daylight savings time, for Tino's sanity." Finished Lor, smiling. Having followed their paths in perfect synchronized motion, the four friends had once again converged on a single point, the long lasting promise of reunion. Having reached a conclusion, Tino, Carver, Lor, and Tish could only smile silently and nod.

* * *

Tino turned to face away from the group,

_"Well, there you have it. We've finally realized where we went wrong. Time can't drive people apart if they don't let it! Even if I'm gonna be a biology teacher while Carver is looking to start a shoe business and Lor is…actually…I never did find that out. Let's do that first, before I let you guys go."_

"Actually, Lor, I did have one question."

"Huh? What is it now?" Asked Lor.

"You've been talking about all the different classes you took in college, but what did you end up doing, exactly? You know, as your major?"

"Hello? Earth to Tino? It's obvious that Lor was doing sports." Said Carver.

"Um…hello? Earth to Carver? 'Sports' isn't an actual college major, at least not at Lor's school," Tish corrected, rolling her eyes, "On the contrary, she was always talking about her science courses to me. This leaves only one reasonable conclusion: that she went into physics!"

There was a brief silence as Lor cringed, dispelling any theories of a certain old career test's validity, "Hey, um...what are you guys talking about? Earth to...both of you? Carver, basketball may have paid my way through college, but I couldn't see myself going professional. I mean, there's so many sports that I'm good at; I couldn't bear to confine myself to just one. And Tish, I was always _complaining_ about my science courses. You know I can't do that stuff to save my life!"

Tino then stepped in, "All right; I guess none of us know what you've been up to. Perhaps you'd care to fill us in?"

Lor grinned, "Dude, I thought you'd never ask! I decided to become a writer!"

"A what?" said Tino, losing his balance on the wall before catching himself, but not his taco, "Aw man…but at least it wasn't opened."

As Tino jumped down to retrieve his taco, Tish spoke up, "Lor, are you serious? That's fantastic…though, rather…unexpected…"

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm not being supported in this?" said Lor with her arms crossed.

"Just don't do any crowd div-" Tish muttered, a little too audibly before Carver cut her off.

"What Tish means is…of course we support you Lor. But at the same time, we all thought that you'd end up doing something at least remotely sports-related."

Lor cocked her head to the side, "Well duh! I meant I wanted to write for sports magazines and stuff."

It was one of those moments where all logic in the universe just "clicked".

"Oh! You must mean journalism. Of course!" said Tish.

Lor pondered this, smiling, "Uh…oh yeah, that's what it was called!"

"It all makes sense now." Said Carver, "Phew, you had us worried there, Lor."

"Totally," she agreed, "you guys reacted like it was that crazy backwards universe again, or something."

"You mean the one where the coffee heats itself and entertainment value trumps profit?" Tino asked, climbing back over the wall.

"Both of which being very worthy topics of discussion..." Mused Tish aloud.

Lor nodded in conformation "Yeah, that one…but I hate coffee anyway."

"Seriously?" asked Tino, "I practically live on that stuff."

"Gross! Anyway, sports journalism was something I felt I could really get into. I'd never become one of those boring old fiction writers…though there is _one_ _particular story_ that I hope to write one day."

"Oh? About what?"

"About us, of course!" she laughed, her level of enthusiasm suddenly rising to somewhere in between 'Whip-a-Canoe ride' and 'Thompson Oberman'.

"Just think about it: we've spent literally hundreds of weekends together and there was seldom a dull moment! I'll need a little help remembering things, but I have it all planned out! Who knows? Maybe we'll even get our own TV series one day!"

Her outburst was met with a comic silence. As per usual, the other three friends were busy trying desperately not to laugh at Lor's clearly misplaced exuberance. Tino, though, stopped to comment,

"_Ok, so as you just saw, Lor has this crazy idea that she's gonna write all of our experiences down and get it turned into a TV show. The rest of us, of course, think she's had some sort of mecha-alien brain transplant! Yeah, even Carver, the most wannabe-popular guy I know. But...__I know that when Lor's this pumped about something, she can accomplish pretty much anything, so I'd say we should support her! It took us years, but we've finally learned to think twice before laughing at each others' ridiculous ventures, ____a_nd what's the worst thing that could happen?"

"Well Lor, it…does sound like you put considerable thought into this thing…so, as crazy as this thing might be, I just want you to know that you have our full support...right guys?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, you guys know I dream of becoming famous all the time. And besides, anything to help a friend…evenifIsincerelythinkit'snotgonnaworkever." Carver conceded, saying the last part too fast for anyone to hear clearly. Thinking on it some more, his usual dreams of grandeur began to kick in, "Heheh, maybe this show could even list Descartes Footwear as a sponsor…"

"Woah, sloowwww down there Carver," said Tish, waving a hand in front of his face before sighing in mock-lament, "It's too late, he's lost in his visions of 'The Carver' as a fashion trend; some things just never change…Lor, I support you too, and it's good to have goals, but I just think you need to take it one step at a time. Neither Rome, nor the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde were built in a day."

"Oh, that's what _you_ think." Replied Lor, catching her friend's reference right away. They shared a brief moment of laughter before Lor spoke again, "See Tish? This is exactly why I need your help. I only remembered _that_ incident because I've been studying my old diaries and stuff, but you remembered that off the top of your head."

"Oh yeah, having to memorize books upon books of your family history really helps with that sort of thing…" said Tish, "Anyway, I'll be sure to pack my _copious_ notes on our time together with me when I leave and send you all the important points. Meanwhile, I suggest you start with something like…thinking of a perfect title!"

"Done!" declared Lor, a little too proudly.

"Well, okay…what is it?"

"I don't know about you guys, but I think it's pretty clever. I mean, all of our adventures occurred on weekends, right? So, why not call it something like _The Weekenders_?"

The three were silent for a moment, likely preparing to repeat their rehearsed "support-a-friend" procedure again. This time, though, Lor caught onto their game.

"Look guys, I know you think that I've gotten some mecha-alien brain transplant or something, but I really appreciate your support. As lame as it may sound, that's the most I could ever ask for. Anyway, _The Weekenders _would be a working title. I'll probably end up changing it to something cooler later…but who knows right?"

* * *

Lor then smirked,

"_Ha! They may think my idea is crazy now, but we'll see who'll be laughing once this show hits the big time! … …Ok, I guess we'd all be laughing then, but wouldn't it be the coolest? Dude, remember that old show, Teen Canyon? Those guys have got nothin' on us. I mean, come on!'_

"_Hey, so I guess now that Tino has had his question more-than-answered, I think I'll close it off, as there's not much more to see here. If my memory's right, this is the part where I should say-'_

"Hold on a second!" Interrupted Carver, tapping Lor on the shoulder, "Lor, are you saying you've started doing that thing again too!"

"Thing? What am I doing?"

"You know, that talking thing…that thing that you were just doing! You know? You were just doing that…thing?"

"Oh, that. Yeah, you got a problem with it Carver? Wait…'too'?" said Lor, a little put off.

"No problems," he replied, "I was just afraid that I was the only one, which would just be un-cool. What about you Tish?"

"Firstly, Carver, I believe the proper term for it is 'breaking the fourth wall'. Secondly, no, I have not been taking part in such a silly activity…" said Tish. She then paused, getting a look of uneasiness on her face,

_"At least, not that much…oh all right, fine. All of you out there know that that was an utter lie, but don't tell anyone okay?"_

At this realization of their common secret, Tino, Lor, Carver, and Tish—The Weekenders—laughed long and hard, not caring about what anyone in the world thought of them. While none could say what their futures held, one thing was certain: this weekend had not been the end of their friendship. It merely was the end of the beginning of their life-long bond. Each of them now knew that, no matter what happened or where life's path lead them, they could always fall back on one universal constant: each other.

* * *

Tino stopped laughing suddenly and winced in mock-pain as he realized that such a conclusion, though absolutely true, also sounded unforgivably lame. He stepped to the side as his friends continued to laugh,

_"Ok, ok, geez, how many more premature closing statements are we gonna have anyway? Seriously! I guess it's up to me then. So yeah, we'll always be friends, and we plan on doing this again at least once a year, and Lor is gonna write her crazy book! But, one thing is even more certain for us, as you've just seen: we are _still_ synchronized! And that, as they say, is that. This may be the last time I'll get to talk to you...though one never knows. So, until we meet again, Later-'_

"Dude! Way to steal the lead-out! I was about to say it before Carver interrupted me!" said Lor, cutting Tino off.

"Oh, right…sorry…(one more, I guess)…but then, your final statement didn't really seem very, you know, final?"

"But…ok, that's true, but could you let me say the last part? I _was_ first!"

"Lor, Tino was the one who started this fourth wall thing in the first place." Tish pointed out, "Why not let him finish what he started?"

"Well because-"

Carver then stepped in, "Tino? Lor? Tish? Cut it out please! We are _not_ going to spend our last moments together in who-knows-how-long arguing over who gets the final word in!"

Any tension between the three friends at that moment instantly relaxed as they saw the wisdom in Carver's words.

"Yeah…you're right Carve, that was rather foolish of us." Said Tino finally, checking his shoes for dirt.

"Don't worry about it," Carver replied, "I mean, we're about to part ways once again; it's no wonder why we're all so tense."

Lor nodded, understanding, "I'm sorry too…Tino, you can say it if you want."

"Nah, it's fine, Lor. I gave the conclusion all the time back then. It's time I let someone else do it for a change."

"Then we should all say it, together as a group, when the time is right." Proposed Tish. The others nodded in agreement. They sat in silence for a while, gazing out over the ocean from their favorite beachside wall as they sipped their chuggafreezes, savoring the last moments of a Sunday united.

"Well, I suppose that says it all."

"Yepp..."

"So I'd say this means-"

"Thinking the same thing."

"So…on three then?"

"No, on four."

"Ok, ok. Four."

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

_**"Later Days!"**_

FIN

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that's a wrap. This whole second part originally was meant to be a short conclusion to the first half, but then I kept expanding it until it was too big and had to give it its own chapter. I know I got sorta carried away with the number of show references in this chapter, but it _is _an anniversary fic, and I tried to only throw them in so that they'd be at least somewhat believable.

The final episode of _The Weekenders_ ended the series in medias res, just as the very first episode began. While I think that this was fitting, it still left me longing for a fifth season that would never occur. This is why I wrote this, to be a possible ending to _The Weekenders_ as a series. I guess it also opened a door for a spinoff fic about Tino's mom and her friends...but that's for another time, maybe. Well, Later Days!


End file.
